Eight months ago The Sun exposed a £20million-a-year euro health tourism scam which the government pledged to close down

The Prime Minister herself vowed in January to close the unacceptable loophole that allows fraudsters to exploit British taxpayers by obtaining EHIC cards with false details.

She and the then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ordered NHS bosses to put new checks in place after The Sun obtained 13 fake cards issued in the names of Cabinet ministers and even US President Donald Trump.

Then-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt pledged in January to crack down on the loophole that allows the fraud

Back in January Mr Hunt, the then Health Secretary said: “The Sun was absolutely right to raise the risk of fraudsters exploiting British taxpayers by fraudulently applying for EHIC cards – a serious criminal offence.

“We are aware of a small number of cases like this and I have asked my officials to speed up plans to crackdown on these scammers so we can protect our precious NHS.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said it was “clearly unacceptable” that the EHIC scheme was wide open for anyone to claim.

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Setting out the steps officials will take to close the loophole, he said: “The Government is already taking action to revise the systems used for card applications, so we can eradicate illegal activity and stop people claiming treatment that they are not entitled to.

“We have tightened the residency evidence requirements for EHIC applications – additional proof of entitlement and residency is required, and customers must confirm a declaration acknowledging the penalties for misuse.

“As proof of entitlement for non-EEA nationals we now require a copy of a visa where relevant, a passport number, information on length of residency in the UK, and other supporting evidence – such as a letter from an employer.”